The present invention relates to devices for applying labels to objects, and more particularly to applicators for accurately positioning and affixing annular labels on electro-optical storage devices (optical discs) such as CDs and DVDs. It is further concerned with methods for applying labels to such objects. It additionally relates to the labels themselves and to sheets of the labels, the sheets being adapted to be passed through a printer or copier for a printing operation on the labels.
A number of devices are known which allow a consumer to apply labels to CDs and the like. Examples thereof are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,951,819 (Hummell et al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,958,177 (Claussnitzer). (The entire contents of these patents and all other patents and all other publications mentioned anywhere in this disclosure are hereby incorporated by reference.) These devices have the common problem in that the labels when peeled off of their support sheets tend to curl and thus may not lie flat on the applicator surface. They thereby may crease, fold, have bubbles or otherwise not lie flat on the object surface when adhesively applied thereto.
Another example of a labeling system is disclosed in U.S. Publication No. US 2001/0025689 A1, published Oct. 4, 2001. This publication discloses an applicator used to apply a label to a shaped CD-ROM. The applicator includes a central projection, peripheral locator pins, and a well in which to received the CD-ROM. Locator tabs on a label are placed over the locator pins to correlate the location of the label and the CD-ROM.